Stories from Friday, March 26, 2004

Dec. 26, 1948-March 24, 2004 CAMBRIDGE -- Jimmie R. Gerard, 55, died Wednesday (March 24, 2004) at his home in Cambridge. He was born Dec. 26th 1948, to Marvin and Edna Mae (Nelson) Gerard in Longmont, Colo. He lived in Loveland most of his life until he moved to McCook. He worked at the rendering plant and was a mechanic...

April 12, 1920-March 24, 2004 KEARNEY -- Arthur W. "Pug" Hovey, 83, died Wednesday (March 24, 2004) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born April 12, 1920, to Charles and Clara (Kemp) Hovey in Trenton. He grew up in Trenton and graduated from Trenton High School in 1939...

STAMFORD -- Megan Becker, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard for the Southern Valley High School girls basketball team, will play for the Cornhusker Shooting Stars traveling squad this summer. The Cornhusker Shooting Stars are an NCAA-certified basketball team that travel the country...

21st Century Systems Inc. of McCook announced this week the hiring of a member of its technical staff, making good on its promise to McCook to increase the number of local professional personnel. Dr. Alex Stoyen, founder and CEO of 21st Century Systems, said the hiring of Rosalie Marley of McCook gives the work that is planned in McCook "an added boost of energy and talent."...

The city of McCook has hired Rhonda Vetrovsky as the new city attorney. Vetrovsky will take over as the permanent city attorney April 1, according to an announcement received from City Manager John Bingham. She has been serving as the McCook Interim City Attorney for the months of February and March following the resignation of the Burger and Bennett Law Firm on Jan. ...

CAMBRIDGE -- Officials proposing an ethanol plant in Cambridge will meet today and disclose plans for the plant. Andela Taylor, Cambridge' economic development director, said this morning the board of Horizon Renewable Energy LLC meets at 1 p.m. The plant proposed in Cambridge revolves around a pilot plant (Phase I) that will contain the primary components of a full-scale (Phase II) plant...

CURTIS -- The highest level of non-use of seat belts is in rural areas. And young adult males are the least likely to wear seat belts. "Something so simple ... something that takes just two seconds ... ," said Nebraska State Patrol Trooper Carolyn O'Brien. "When wearing seat belts can increase your chances of surviving an accident four times, it seems like a no-brainer."...

With five small children, my family has resigned itself to traveling the most economical -- that is cheapest -- way possible: by automobile. But in the past several weeks, I've had the chance to travel not only by auto, but by train and bus. While this change in traveling options has provided new experiences for myself and my family, the biggest change has been in packing...

While in town for the funeral of Maxine Morrison, former McCookite Bill Harris visited with the publisher about the importance of a new interstate interchange to serve the Archway east of Kearney. Harris is leading the effort, which would be a fitting tribute to Gov. Frank Morrison and Maxine, who were the leading voices in support of the arch development...

ARAPAHOE -- The little house west of Trenton is quite possibly the most recognizable -- and photographed -- place in all of Southwest Nebraska. The frail, crooked shanty looks as if even a gentle Nebraska breeze could level it. Yet, it's survived decades of plains weather extremes and generations of families since a railroader and homesteader, Thomas Curran, claimed the surrounding hillsides in 1886...

Choosing to love God, to serve God, to follow Jesus means choosing persecution, the Rev. Jon Albrecht told a Community Lenten congregation of 155 Friday afternoon at St. Alban's Episcopal Church. Albrecht, pastor at McCook Harvest Church, made his community debut reading from the Gospel of St. John 15:18-27, drawing three key points from the text...

Your adrenaline starts to rise. There's a domestic dispute call. A man and his wife have been arguing. You arrive at the house and walk in. In the kitchen there is a man in his 40s holding an infant. A 35-year-old woman is pleading with him to give her the child...

Culture -- and the arts -- have been an important part of McCook life since the earliest years of the community's existence. When reading through "Portraits of the Past: McCook's First 100 Years," we discover that McCook's pioneers started an opera house, a light guard band and open air concerts within two years of the city's founding in 1882...

Maxine Morrison was a "First Lady" in every sense of the word. Frank officially made her Nebraska's First Lady by becoming Governor in 1961, but she was born to the title. Her lifetime of accomplishments that I read about following her passing left me in awe of this most gracious and unassuming woman...

With only 11 days of session left, members of the Legislature spent their time discussing a wide array of issues throughout the week. Monday was budget day with debate pertaining primarily to Legislative Bill 1093. This bill, introduced by Senator Ron Raikes, would change dates relating to the calculation of state aid to schools. ...

When I came to McCook Community College in January of 1995, the new college President, Greg Fitch, had already been aboard since the beginning of the fall semester and change was in the air. One of the things that struck me in a very favorable way when I interviewed for this position was the fact that all the members of the search committee, less one, had been teaching here for 20 years or longer with a couple approaching 30 years. ...

Aug. 21, 1922-March 25, 2004 KEARNEY -- Donley V. Gleason, 81, died Thursday (March 25, 2004) at Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. He was born Aug. 21, 1922, to Vern and Hazel Gleason in Wray, Colo. He graduated from Wray High School. He served in the Navy during World War II...

March 20, 1914-March 25, 2004 Mildred Marie, daughter of John and Eva Maisel was born March 20, 1914, on a farm north of Indianola. She attended school at District 7, not far from their home. Mildred moved with her parents to a farm southwest of McCook in 1928. She was confirmed April 22, 1928, at Peace Lutheran Church in McCook, where she has been a member all of her life. She worked for many farm wives in the area, helping cook for threshers or helping with new babies in the families...

LINCOLN -- The Nebraska Supreme Court will bypass the state's Court of Appeals and hear a Lebanon woman's argument that the plan to finance a new junior-senior high school building for the now-merged Republican Valley and Twin Valley schools is illegal and unconstitutional...